Automatic flue-cleaner.



J. R. KARR.

AUTOMATIC FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION ilLED MAYa.19|s.

Allf. Patented Feb. 6,1917.

WITNESS. NVENTOR,

TOI-IN R. KARR, 4OIE TRACY, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC ELITE-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lFeb. 6, ruilt..

Application filed May 3, 1916. "Serial No. 95,043.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 4JOHN R. KARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tracy, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic' Flite-Cleaners; and T do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in the means for keeping the tubesl of boiler flues clear of saline deposits, mineral, or other similar deleterious deposits. 'Water used in steam boilers always has more or less mineral in it and this, when the water is heated, tends to precipitate and clog around the tubes to such a degree as to cake on the tubes and congest and clog'the intervening spaces rendering the action of the boiler very ineffective. By keeping these minerals in constant agitation and preventing their accumulating and caking on the boiler tubes this congestion and clogging is overcome and full ethciency of the boiler can then be had. A great many different solutions have been used to overcome this condition but they are expensive and more or less ineffective.

I aim to provide a means by my improved invention whereby there will be a continual agitation over the surface of the boiler tubes which will scrape olf any deposits and prevent the same from caking thereon.

A. further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects T accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

Tn the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of two boiler tubes showing my improved agitating means thereon.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a plurality of tubes showing the agitating means.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the agitating rings.

Fig. l is a sectional view of the other type of agitating rino'.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings the numeral 1 designates the boiler tubes. My invention consists of a plurality of loose rings 2 and Ll of a slightly greater diameter than the body of the tubes l vwhich rings are mountedover the tubes preferably in alternate relation with respect to each other. The rings 2` and 4 are of the saine diameter butthe rings 2 are hollow, as at 3, while the rings 4 are solid. The hollow rings are of course sufficiently hollow to give the rings a less'density than that of the water within which they will. be submerged within the boiler-so that they will tend to float upwardly. `When mounted over the tubes l the rings el, being solid, hang down with the upper sides of their inner circumferences resting on the boiler tubes. The rings 2 being hollow tend to float upwardly which brings the lower sides of their inner circumferences against the undersides of the boiler tubes.

Thus the boiler tubes have loose rings bearing against their outer circumference from all directions and these rings will ride from end to end of the boiler tubes in a shifting manner according to the action of the circulation of the water in the boiler tubes. This continual shifting and agitation of the rings will prevent the tendency of any deposits to cake on the tube. The sides of the rings 2 and l are square so that when they strike each other they will likewise keep deposits from caking on the rings.

The hanging rings on one row of the boiler tubes l will just barely touch the floating rings on the next adjacent row of boiler tubes, as shown at a in Fig. 2, so that there will be a continuous scraping of the outer circumference of the rings 2 and l to likewise prevent the deleterious deposits from accumulating thereon.

Thus it will readily be apparent that I have a continual agitating means on the boiler tubes which keeps the same clean, and which agitating means are substantially engaging one another in all directions which will likewise keep the agitating means entirely free from deposits thus fully accomplishing the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that l have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention asset forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such'deviations from such detail may be resortedto as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with boiler tubes, of a plurality of independent rings hung on each tube, each ring bearing against one side of the tube and being spaced from the opposite side.

2. The combination with a plurality of boiler. tubes, of a plurality of loose members mounted on the tubes and arranged to be continually shifted by the movement of the Water around the tubes, the loose members on one tube being arranged to touch those on another as they shift to different positions.

3. The combination with boiler tubes, of a plurality of independent rings hung on eachtube, a portion-of the rings bearing against the top side of the tube and being Y spaced from the underside, and the balance of the rings bearing againstV theunderside of the tube and being spaced from the top side. Y j

4. The combination with boiler tubes, of

a plurality of loose. rings hung on the same in shiftable relation, a portion of said rings 6. The combination with boiler tubes, of

a plurality of loose rings hung on the same in shiftable relation, a portion of said rings being of greater density and a portion of less density than the water in which they are submerged, those of the lesser density on one tube being arranged to'touch those of greater density on anothertube as the rings shift back and forth on the tubes.

7. The combination with boiler tubes, of loose rings hung on each tube, each ring being independently mounted with respect to the other and each of the rings being freely movable along the length of the tubes.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

JOHN R. KARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

